


Complicated

by amiluna



Category: Black Clover - 田畠裕基 | Tabata Yuki
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Marking, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Possessive Behavior, Scent Marking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:58:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amiluna/pseuds/amiluna
Summary: Asta and Yuno are omegas who want to be the first ever omega Wizard King. Along the way, Asta is proven wrong about something he's long believed and it seems to take over his life in ways he hadn't ever imagined it would.





	1. Chapter 1

Asta is a boy without any magic power who wishes to become the next Wizard King. Yuno is a boy with powerful magic who wishes the become the next Wizard King. The only thing standing in the way of these boys success is something all too clear yet debilitating: they are omegas.

Omegas can join the magic knights so long as they are not fertile and bonded off. Asta, since he has no magic in him, has no real signs of being an omega: he doesn’t get heats the way Yuno does (Yuno’s are long and miserable), he can’t get pregnant the way Yuno can (this is a major obstacle for Yuno to hide), and he doesn’t have the mark of an omega. The only two things giving away his status are the golden chain choker around his neck to prevent marking and the scent he gives off when aroused.

This being said, Asta is still babied more by their father than Yuno is because he’s an omega with no magic power.

Never mind the fact he doesn’t get heats.

Never mind the fact he cannot get pregnant.

Never mind the fact he doesn’t have an omega mark.

Never mind the fact that if he took off this golden choker chain no one would know he is an omega.

Father still sees him as a weaker, more vulnerable omega than Yuno because he has no magic power. What the freaking hell! Even he finds it annoying the way Father barred him from speaking to or associating with village alphas growing up. To add insult to injury, Yuno is allowed to openly associate with village alphas and speak to them despite the fact he’s almost been forcibly bonded more than once because of this.

How many times has Asta saved Yuno? At least ten to twenty.

How many times has Yuno actually saved Asta? None. Why? Because Asta can handle himself and the way Father ignores this simply pisses him off!

Every time they go anywhere, all he ever hears from Father is, “Yuno, watch over Asta and make sure no alphas go near him. If they do, please, protect him with everything you’ve got.”

“I will, Father.”

It pisses him off _so fucking much_!

“And I will protect Yuno from—”

“Oh Asta, don’t be silly! You can’t protect Yuno: you’re an omega with no magic power. If you two go out in an alpha rut, you’re the most vulnerable one, not Yuno.” Father says with a gentle, worried look to his gaze which serves to send Asta into a rage.

“Um, hi, I don’t get two week long heats like Mr. Fertile Omega here does and I don’t even have an omega mark like he does!” Asta protests out of his own frustrations. Why is he being babied again whereas Yuno isn’t? He has a far better chance of being the Wizard King before he does because he’s not fertile like Yuno is!

Father sighs in response to this outburst of irritation and rage, “Asta, you’re not capable of using magic. Any alpha can take advantage of you with much more ease than what they can with Yuno! He’s a strong mage and you’re…ah, you can’t even use magic. In any case, you’re far more defenseless than he is. He has to be there to protect you at all times.”

Asta refuses to believe he is somehow powerless in comparison to stereotypical omega Yuno! They’re both powerful omegas—he doesn’t need Father trying to tell him otherwise!

(Or more like he hates hearing Father saying such things)

“We’re both powerful omegas! I’m not any weaker than him because I don’t have magic power. Just you watch, you’ll be regretting this when I become the next Wizard King!”

Father always tries not to laugh at such proclamations, but then he supposes his attempt at a composed, “Oh Asta, please, try to not aim so high… you wouldn’t want to leave me, right? Who will marry Sister Lily then?”

“I’ll marry her when I do become the next Wizard King!” he shouts and Father is left with the devastating aftermath of having to deal with a too confident Asta who cannot accept the fact he is a weak, powerless omega who needs him there to make sure he is safe.

“Oh Asta…Yuno, please, keep an eye on him.” he says to Yuno with a small sigh as he hands him over the note.

Asta could have said something about all the times he’s had to save Yuno, but he never does so. He knows what it’s like to live under Father’s over protective thumb and he wouldn’t wish it on Yuno or anyone else. This and he has a feeling Father would have arranged a marriage between Yuno and a noble alpha by now had he known of this.

He remembers when the drunken alpha had stolen Yuno’s necklace when they were six. He had to save Yuno after sneaking out to check on him. The alpha had originally stolen the necklace, but then decided he wanted to take Yuno instead to give to the bar tender to pay for his tab.

After Asta had saved him, they had come home together and well…Father hadn’t let him out of his sight since. Apparently, Father only cared about the fact he could smell an alpha all over Asta. Never mind the fact the scent was far stronger on Yuno, no, he only obsessed over the scent Asta had on him!

From that point onward, he had to have Yuno by him at all times to babysit him whenever they went anywhere. Sneaking out? A thing of the past thanks to Father constantly having one of the kids there by his side when Yuno couldn’t be!

He was screwed, but it’s okay though. When he gets his grimoire, he will be leaving this place and going off to join the magic knights! He will become a magic knight and just you wait everyone in Hage, he will become the first omega Wizard King!

Yuno wants to try to become the first omega Wizard King…but even Asta has his doubts about it. He knows he cannot talk since he is an omega without magic power, yet Yuno…

Fertile omegas are not allowed to join the magic knights. He knows Yuno is fertile and when he’s in heat, it becomes so obvious. His scent is one of a fertile omega in heat, which means he smells of candies and vanilla cake during this time period.

Why aren’t they allowed to do so? Because they can get impregnated by a potential enemy. Since this is a possibility that can happen, fertile omegas are banned from joining the magic knights.

At least he’s infertile. Yuno is screwed if he doesn’t take his suppressants.

Right now, he focuses on the task at hand. They are in the market a day before the grimoire receiving ceremony to get some bread to celebrate the upcoming event. It is here where Yuno is approached by an alpha with a rather cocky stance, “Hello omega, it’s nice to see such a pretty thing like you here!”

To this, Yuno grits his teeth and tells him with a monotonic, “Hello alpha, I’m only here to get some bread and return to my orphanage.”

“Really? Such a pretty thing like you living in an orphanage? That’s wrong on so many levels! Allow me to take you away from this awful village and into a life of the highest luxury, my sweet.” the alpha (a blonde man in his early thirties) says to Yuno with such kindness and sweetness, it feels obviously forced.

“No thank you, alpha.” Yuno responds, but when the alpha eyes narrow as he makes a move to grab him, Asta tackles him and punches him in the face.

“He said 'no' and 'no' means 'no', alpha jerk! Leave Hage before I put you in your spot!” Asta snarls before landing another punch.

This alpha must not have that good of a magic power if his first instinct when Asta gets off of him is to run for his life.

Asta shrugs to this before asking Yuno, “You okay? I know how hard it is for you to deal with alpha jerks like that.”

Yuno thanks Asta, but Asta can tell he is annoyed by the sound of his voice, “Asta, I don’t mind you getting alphas away from me, but I can hold my own. I have magic power, remember? You don’t, that’s why Father tells me to protect you, not the other way around!”

Asta has his own retort to this pretty hurtful outburst, “Yeah, well, at least I’m infertile! Yuno, you are powerful but so am I. How many times have I saved you from some alpha bastard wanting to take advantage of you or using a heat inducing spell on you?”

Yuno blushes out of embarrassment while he replies with a soft, “You don’t think I’m grateful for all that you’ve done? I am grateful for it! I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I know I’m fertile, but that doesn’t mean I am useless. I can do just as much as you and I have magic power, that’s all that should matter, not my fertility status!”

Asta looks at him in a bit of concern as they begin their way home, “When you do try out for the magic knights…what will you do about…you know, the heats? Those are total giveaways of your fertility status, Yuno, if you’re not careful—”

“I will be careful!” he insists to Asta, “I will take my suppressants. I won’t allow another alpha or beta to scent me. I have thought this through, Asta, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Asta is still worrying though: what if Yuno does get caught? The penalty for being a fertile omega caught lying to get in to be a magic knight can be severe. They will either be mated off to some random noble or if they do get pregnant…they will be mated off to the alpha or beta who impregnated them as punishment. After this, their duties as magic knights are stripped from them permanently.

Asta is afraid for Yuno on this end. He knows Yuno doesn’t take his promises of becoming the first omega Wizard King seriously, but he thinks Yuno tends to forget he is the one with more to lose than he does.

He sighs still and decides to trust Yuno on this end. Maybe he really does have it covered and he doesn’t know it.

“Okay, sure, whatever you say. I hope you don’t get caught. I can’t become the first omega Wizard King without you to lose to me!” he tries to lighten the tense atmosphere because he knows how much Yuno hates being reminded of his fertile status.

He’s so happy he’s not fertile like Yuno. Being infertile is awesome because it means he can be a magic knight!

When they do arrive home, Father instantly smells the alpha on Asta and is freaking out at first sight, “Asta, what happened? Were you assaulted? Did some alpha scum try to bond you without your consent? Yuno, you said you’d watch him! I won’t let him leave with you again if you cannot keep him safe!”

Asta does his best to not scream at the injustice of it all, because, _really Father, he was the one who saved Yuno, not the other way around!_ Yuno usually does nothing whenever Father does have these freak outs, but today he does something different.

He stands up for Asta for the first time ever in his own way.

“Father, he saved me from an alpha trying to get grabby with me. He tackled the alpha down and punched him out for me. It was actually pretty brave.” Yuno says to his father without missing a beat.

Father is stunned for a moment, but then calms himself in a quick manner, “You still had no right to scare me like that, Asta. You shouldn’t be so reckless in fights with alphas. What if they sense you are an omega and try to rape you?

“They won’t do that to me!” Asta retorts with an eye roll, “Honestly, Yuno was the one who had an alpha —”

“Don’t change the subject! You need to be more careful!”

It seems even when Yuno is honest about Asta saving him, Father still worries over him more. Life officially hates him.


	2. Chapter 2

When they do receive their grimoires, Father is ecstatic over the prospect of Yuno marrying rich and Asta…staying here with him forever.

Asta is not one to take this well: he saved Yuno from some creepy chain magic user who almost raped him. He trained so hard all of his life (with the supervision of Yuno, Sister Lily, or one of the alpha kids per Father’s orders) to get to this point of obtaining a grimoire and now he’s being told he can’t do it?

Screw. Him.

Asta hatches up a plan right then: he tells Father, “I want to go with Yuno to find my mate. I will be sure he’s safe and he will be sure I’m safe on our way to the Royal Capital. Doesn’t that sound great, Father? This way we can both marry rich!”

Father looks at him curiously as he asks him, “Why are you so interested now? Didn’t you say not too long ago that all alpha males are scum?”

Asta shrugs to this before forcing himself to say, “I guess I…want to find my mate and be mated off and happy like Yuno will be.”

The older man is skeptical, yet for some reason, he answers this with a small sigh, "I'll think about it, Asta."

"Great! Let me know right away!" Asta responds in an ecstatic tone as Father leaves to go to his room.

Father thinks it over for a full night and when the morning comes he tells him with a heavy sigh, “You may go with Yuno, but you may not be mated or married off. I’m sorry Asta, but I’m not ready to let you go just yet. Yuno and his mate will return you after he’s mated off, okay?”

Asta hugs him tightly, his lime colored eyes meeting the dark ones of his father’s when he speaks, “Thank you so much, Father! So, what made you change your mind?”

Father rolls his eyes, “Oh Asta, I didn’t change my mind! Yuno begged me to let you go with him. He promised on his life to protect you and I know he will do so.”

So…it wasn’t because he finally realized Asta can protect himself and hold his own in a bout of danger? It’s because _Yuno_ begged him to allow him to go along?

This is the worst reason he could have ever heard in his lifetime! Father doesn’t think he’s capable of taking care of himself. He thinks he’s as weak and pathetic as ever!

“Geez…I’ll be sure to give him my warmest regards.” he grits through his teeth as he grabs his grimoire and gets ready to eat breakfast before taking his leave.

The final meal at home is rather uneventful, but then he’s spending it mostly proclaiming about how he will return to the orphanage with a large diamond ring to propose to Sister Lily. It’s pretty pathetic to watch, but then they all suppose they should enjoy it while they can. Who knows if Asta will somehow be miraculously mated off before Yuno?

Asta knows that won’t ever happen! It’s either Sister Lily or nothing at this point. Sure, he’s had fleeting crushes on some village alpha males, but it never felt right to be with any of them. Even Sister Lily doesn’t feel right to pursue, but he still does so with reckless abandon anyway because she’s the best he thinks he can do.

He doesn’t get heats like Yuno. He doesn’t have an omega marking like Yuno. If he takes this golden chain choker off, no one can honestly tell he’s an omega. In fact, most mistake him for a beta without it.

Without heats or a mark to signal his omega status, Asta is pretty much doomed to be alone forever. So, he will keep on trying until he gets Sister Lily to say yes to marrying him!

As they leave together, instantly they are speaking of sneaking off to the entrance exams to join the magic knights. Asta knows he will be fine, but it’s Yuno he’s more worried about. How will he hide his fertility status? How will he, a more stereotypical omega, actually fare in such a setting?

Asta doesn’t need to worry about such things because he’s got none of the setbacks regular omegas like Yuno have. He’s an unorthodox omega and he’s proud of it.

He doesn’t think he’s better than Yuno…he just thinks he can handle it all better than him.

This being said, once they do arrive at the exam, he’s impressed with the way Yuno holds his own and the way he rebuffs every single alpha that comes near him.

(Sometimes he wishes had a mark or a scent like Yuno because then he could find a mate too, but as it stands, he has none. No alpha, beta-alpha, or beta wants a markless, scentless mate; it’s just a fact of life.)

Seeing Yuno being so desired to the point where they all wanted him to join was something so fascinating to him. He’s oddly proud of him in this moment because he knows how badly Yuno wanted to be accepted into the magic knights and now he is despite his omega-ness!

He goes into the Golden Dawn whereas Asta has to fight to get into the Black Bulls.

From here on out, Asta’s life is going to be changed permanently.

He goes on his first mission with Magna and Noelle, comes back with information on the deadly mage who attacked the village, and sometime after this gets called out to go on a mission to the dungeon with Luck and Noelle. While on the mission he gets to see Yuno again after months of not seeing him. Truth be told, he's surprised he isn’t pregnant or bonded yet.

During the dungeon mission, a mage from the Diamond Kingdom almost forcibly mates Yuno, causing Asta to snap. He gives it his all until he literally cannot move anymore. By the time he comes to, they got out of it alive and four-eyes from Yuno’s squad is giving him a huge hug, finally accepting him as his equal.

After a week or so of sleep, Asta is told by Captain Yami, “You and Noelle are going to the Royal Capital today. They want you to give a report or some shit, I don’t really know to be honest.”

Asta is excited to go, Noelle doesn’t really seem to care too much either way, and Luck wants to go for one reason only…

“I think I found my mate, Captain Yami!” he proclaims with a wide grin.

Yami (as well as everyone else) drops his fork and stares at him with wide eyes. Luck is an…acquired taste to say the least. If he found his mate, then they are screwed.

“…Really? Who is the poor son of a bitch?” he asks in an attempt to remain neutral.

Luck is practically bouncing out of his seat in joy (and possible blood lust), “Yuno! Yuno, the pretty omega with enough strength for me to bond without breaking him! Can’t I please go along, Captain Yami? I swear I won’t fight with anyone there.”

To this…Yami thinks it over for a split second before deciding, “No. Yuno can do better and you will go on a nutso fighting spree. How about you go on a mission with Magna.”

“What!” the fire mage shrieks but then Luck is looking at him in excitement, “Ah, that’s too bad, but hey, a mission with you will be loads of fun!”

Yami then turns his attention to Noelle and Asta, "You two should be heading out soon. This is not something you can really afford to be late to."

"Yes sir, Captain Yami!" Asta exclaims joyously whereas Noelle only rolls her eyes, "Drama queen."

After this event, they are sent off to the Royal Capital. Once there, they see Yuno’s squad and Asta cannot help but to notice Mimosa’s strange behavior towards him. Maybe she’s sick from something. She’s a beta, right? He knows Noelle is an alpha, as are the rest of the Black Bulls, but Yuno’s squad seems to be a bit more mixed.

Four eyes is a beta-alpha, Mimosa is a beta, and Yuno is a very fertile omega.

(Which reminds him…when alone with Yuno, he should ask him how he’s handling his heats.)

He then feels it. Something is wrong. Something is off. He cannot pin point down what exactly is wrong…but he knows something is not right today. This feeling is not bad or ominous, but rather it is…good. Pleasant even.

Is that even possible? Well, apparently it is for Asta.

At first, he believes the feeling to be caused by meeting Julius Nova Chrono. However, when the feelings persist, he has no clue what else it could be. Even being in this banquet hall with all of these alphas and beta-alphas is starting to slightly put him off. He doesn’t know why either, it just _is_.

He feels like he needs to get out of the room and breathe, just breathe already because he cannot pinpoint this feeling down and it’s starting to drive him crazy!

Before he can even eat, there’s a tap on his shoulder that catches his attention almost instantly. He turns around to see who it is and meets a young man with mint green eyes, tanned skin, and bright copper hair. He’s not much taller than himself and he’s dressed like a higher classed person...nobility? Royalty? He has no clue at the moment, but he does know one thing.

He’s starting to emit a faint scent.

_He’s never emitted a scent of any sorts before!_

He’s not a regular omega like Yuno! He does not emit scents of any sorts! Why is this happening to him? Is he sick? Is he dying? Was the food poisoned —

He needs to quit now before his mind goes down the rabbit hole of crazy, irrational thoughts.

“Hello, who are you?” he asks the other with a pretty cautious tone.

The young man (an alpha, obvious alpha because he cannot hide his scent for the life of him) smiles widely as he takes the back of his hand and kisses it gently, “Hello dear omega, I am Leopold Vermillion of House Vermillion and a member of the Crimson Lions! Might I ask who you are?”

“A-Asta, from Hage village…I’m an orphan and I’m a member of the Black Bulls.” Asta doesn’t know why he stammered there. He’s never been anything but strong and confident. Is it the scent messing with him? Is it the alpha rut clogging his mind up and turning it to rubble?

Upon hearing the omega status of Asta, Noelle freaks out, “Wait, hold up! You’re an omega? Really?”

Her shock is caused by the fact Asta quit wearing his golden chain choker before the entrance exams. He’s been posing as a beta this whole time…well, not really posing as one. Everyone naturally assumed he was one because he didn’t have the mark, heats, or scent of an omega…until today.

He clears his throat as he says to her, “I’m an omega. Because I have no magic power, I didn’t have a scent, mark, or heats. I took my chain off before the entrance exams so no one would treat me like a piece of glass like Father did. If you had asked me, I would have told you I am an omega though, so technically it’s everyone else’s fault for not asking me in the first place!”

Leopold doesn’t seem to buy this as he leans close to Asta’s scent glands, taking a deep whiff of them and causing Asta to freeze in his spot in the process, “You do have a scent: it’s very warm and gentle. Think…woodsy and vanilla undertones.”

Asta blushes so deeply to this, asking him, “Why do you keep saying I have a scent? No one could ever scent me before, not even Noelle and she’s royalty!”

Leopold raises a brow, but he’s quickly grinning in response, “I get it now! You’re my mate. I’m the only one who can scent you, mate with you, and eventually mark you.”

Asta is not taking this well.

He’s not supposed to have a mate!

Yuno is the one who is supposed to have found his mate first (and no, he still doesn’t think it’s Luck)!

This. Does. Not. Happen. To. Omegas. Like. Him.

“T-That cannot be right…I don’t have a mate, the healer even said so! I don’t…how is this happening to me! Yuno should’ve been the one finding his mate, not me! He’s the stereotypical omega, not me. I cannot have a mate now!”

Asta’s outburst makes Leopold frown. Is the omega rejecting him? Doesn’t he think he’s alpha enough for him? If he has a hard time believing so, then he will prove him wrong! He’s a _Vermillion_ , and Vermillions don’t quit on their mates.

Asta isn’t really focusing on the royal before him. He’s instead focusing on the shocked looks of everyone in the room and the words coming from Yuno’s squad.

There’s Mimosa in the background sighing sadly, “Oh well…it’s too bad he’s not my omega.”

Four eyes with his worried gasp of, “Oh my! Asta, it’s okay. I can take over everything from here if you don’t want to be mated just yet!”

Then there’s Yuno, grinning smugly as though he’s won some sort of victory, “Welcome to omegahood, Asta. You're in for one hell of a ride."


	3. Chapter 3

Asta is not ready for a mate. He’s not ready to mated down and domesticated! He wants to become the first omega Wizard King, not some attractive guy’s spouse!

Wait…does he think this guy is attractive? Oh fuck, he’s screwed, isn’t he?

Then he hears a slight scoff from a man he recognizes as Captain Silva of the Silver Eagles, “A Vermillion has just claimed a commoner as his mate. How much lower can your entire house sink into depravity, Fuegoreon?”

To this, Leopold openly snarls, causing Asta to almost feel a sensation of attraction. The key word here being ‘almost’.

“Silence, Silva! Maybe you should only speak when you actually find an omega who can tolerate you.” Leopold growls out, causing everyone in the room to take pause in silence, “Speak ill of my mate and I will show you how powerful the roar of a lion can be.”

Nozel then approaches Leopold, his mana flaring suddenly as he comes closer, but before the younger Vermillion can strike, Fuegoreon spikes up his own mana.

“That is enough, Nozel. He cannot control who his mate is. If his mate is Asta, then that is who his mate is regardless of status.” Fuegoreon calmly approaches the Silva as he begins to near the point of deadly attack.

This is when a mage bursts into the room to speak of the capital being invaded. Instantly, the mana in the room calms down and Asta isn’t feeling as…

Was he feeling…scared? Why? Only regular omegas like Yuno feel fear whenever alphas start to fight like that. He’s not a regular omega like Yuno who emits distress pheromones when alphas get hostile with each other!

They begin to plan a counter attack on the enemy, snapping Asta out of his thoughts instantly. He immediately uses this invasion as an opportunity to get away from this Leopold alpha and get himself back to normal.

“I’m not going to stand here while people are out there dying!” he boldly proclaims as he rushes out of the room.

He hears Fuegoreon’s question of, “We don’t know where the enemy is at, how on earth will you find them?”

“I’ll go where there’s the most yelling!”

He needs to leave, leave, leave! He cannot be here by this alpha and these omega sensations he’s never had to deal with before!

He’s lucky enough to beat Leopold into the city. He’s lucky enough to fight the main bad guy causing this mess. Then there’s the battle cry of his so-called mate entering the scene, making him want to scream out in pure frustration, “Stay away from my mate, scumbag!”

He has never been happier to see another enemy appear than what he is now!

The only bad thing is the crazy guy now knows he is an omega. Great, just fucking great.

“Wait…you’re an omega? How is that possible? You have no scent or mark!” he begins with a disbelieving glare on Asta who only rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it! I’m not the perfect omega like Yuno, but I am an omega and no, I do not get mates because I don’t have a scent!” Asta insists but then he hears a loud cry of, “Lies!” from Leopold.

The bad guy doesn’t seem to be buying it, but Asta doesn’t care. He only cares about defeating this guy so the kingdom will be saved by an omega like him.

However, it was sadly enough not meant to be. After seeing his fight and deciding to give him some assistance, Captain Fuegoreon is the one who had defeated the mage after telling him, “You are a worthy mate for my brother, Asta. I can say that from today onward, you are my rival.”

Raedes is not one to be easily taken down. Thanks to his allies, Fuegoreon disappears but when he reappears the other is missing a whole arm and is losing too much blood. It makes Leopold freeze in his spot, causing Noelle to try to get him to snap of it but it doesn’t work. What gets him out of his stunned daze at the sight of his brother’s dying form is the sight of his mate about to be attacked by the same alpha trash who had attacked their kingdom in its capital.

They fight side by side, with Leopold feeling so proud and invigorated to be by his mate for such an event! He always knew his mate would be someone strong, someone he could fight seamlessly by in a back to back situation.

Unfortunately, he is injured during the fight and Asta gets kidnapped. It is when he wakes up after recovering from his injuries in the medical ward that he learns of this and who exactly had saved him.

Seeing Asta being held by the Wizard King himself after he had saved him makes his inner alpha thirst for the king’s blood. How dare he touch his mate! How dare he save his mate like some alpha hero would: what, is he trying to one up him in front of Asta? Is he trying to humiliate him in front of Asta? Because if so, oh he has another thing coming!

He approaches his king with a fire in his eyes as he confronts him with a slightly hostile, “What are you doing with my mate, my king?”

Julius looks at him curiously as he sets down Asta (he had been holding him princess style), “Oh, he’s still injured so I figured he needed the extra help. Just as a question, how can he be your mate? He has no mark or scent on him. I think he’s just a regular beta.”

Leopold chuckles lowly, his stance becoming more and more threatening as he says, “I can smell him. He’s an omega, and he’s my mate. If you don’t put down my mate, I will harm you.”

All present stare on in shock as Leopold makes such a bold proclamation. Julius himself is more intrigued than anything else. He instead asks Asta, “Are you really an omega?”

Asta nods slowly, his answer being simple, “I am an omega, but because I have no magic power, I’m not a typical one with a mark or scent like Yuno.”

Julius is about to interrogate him on this but decides against it. Leopold looks ready to kill and he knows how territorial some alphas can get over their mates…

He sets him down, ready to take his leave after a little talk about the situation at hand. The whole while this is happening, Leopold is inching closer and closer to Asta who is inching further and further away from Leopold.

Asta doesn’t mind being friends with Leopold because he is really cool and his magic power is amazing. This being said, Asta refuses to believe he has a mate. Omegas like him do not get mates. It’s just…impossible for it to happen! There’s no actual way Leopold is his mate. It makes no sense, none of this does! So why is it happening to him?

As soon as Julius leaves, Leopold is about to crush Asta in a huge hug, but he is pushed aside by Klaus who is instantly all over him, “Asta! Are you alright? I thought we had lost you forever. They didn’t know you’re an omega, right? They didn’t try to bond you, did they? Let me check you for any markings!”

“Stop it, four eyes, I’m just fine!” Asta spoke out of annoyance more than anything else because Klaus is acting so much like Father right now it’s unbelievable.

He does check him for markings and breathes a sigh of relief when he finds none on him, “Oh thank heavens! I was afraid they’d try to mate you for sure! You need to be more careful, Asta, alphas in battles are dangerous to be by.”

Oh great. He’s being lectured by four eyes now. As if he did not get enough of this from Father growing up!

Then Klaus is shoved aside by Mimosa, who is almost crying at the sight of him, “Oh Asta, thank heavens you’re just fine! I was so worried over you. I couldn’t imagine a future without you and Leo having strong fire magic babies together, it was just too tragic!”

…Why are they treating him like he’s Yuno? He can’t even get pregnant! What the hell!

“I can’t get pregnant and besides, I don’t have a mate! Omegas like me don’t get mates, that’s Yuno’s job to do, not mine!” he exclaims out of pure utter disbelief at the last sentence she said.

Leopold approaches him and shoves his cousin away from his mate, his mint green eyes taking in Asta’s figure before pulling him into his arms, “Asta, my omega, you are living with me from now on in the castle of the Crimson Lions! You will be treated like a prince, with all the finest foods and clothing available to mankind. I will provide for you to the fullest extent of my alpha duties and we will fight side by side as warrior mates do!”

Is this actually happening to him right now? Please, oh please, tell him this is all a bad dream and he’ll wake up laughing at it…

Asta instantly rejects this offer because he’s not ready to give up his dreams just yet, “No way am I doing that! I have too far to go before I become the first omega Wizard King and I won’t stop until I achieved that goal. I’m sorry, you are an awesome, cool, hot guy, but the answer is no!”

Out of all that was spoken, Leopold took only one thing out of it: “…You think I’m hot.”

Asta wants to smack him in this moment because…that’s all he took from this? Really?

“Well yeah, duh you are, but it doesn’t mean we’re mates or I’m ready to be mated! I’m sorry but it’s not happening.”

“Challenge accepted.”

…Did he not just hear him?

What does he mean by ‘challenge accepted’!

Asta looks at him strangely while asking him, “What are you talking about?”

Leopold, on the other hand, chuckles confidently in response, “I am accepting this challenge you set up for me. You think I cannot win you over, you think you are not my mate all because of a lie some dastardly healer told you, but I will prove you wrong and you will be mine.”

Asta cannot believe what he is hearing. How did he get all of this out of what he said before? Is this mage really that...crazy?

His inner omega seems to disagree with him. It’s screaming at him to allow Leopold to mark him and take him away from his home and into the castle of the Crimson Lions.

Asta is not a typical omega, though, so this inner omega doesn’t have much power or sway over his thoughts or decisions.

“Okay, no that is not at all what I said before.”

“Oh, trust me that is what was said before and I accept the challenge! Omega Asta, you will be mine!”

If he looks horrified, it’s because he _is_ horrified.

Why is this happening to him but not to Yuno? Shouldn’t this have happened to Yuno instead? He thinks it should have. Yuno is the traditional omega and here he is, nontraditional and dealing with a situation he had once deemed impossible to happen.

Asta shakily laughs as he gets himself out of Leopold’s arms, “That is not what was said before and there is no challenge for you to accept, so please stop talking about it like this!”

“Ah, poor Asta, trying to deny the obvious.” Leopold replies with a soft laugh, “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to win this challenge before your next heat. That way we can be together for a full night of fun and pleasure.”

He almost chokes on air from this statement alone.

“W-What! I don’t get heats like Yuno does!” Asta shrieks from the horror of it all whereas Leopold only rolls his eyes.

“We’re mates. Eventually, you will get a heat cycle and it will be a glorious event for the two of us.”

“Nope! Nu-uh, never happening! Goodbye Leopold, it was nice to meet you, but I have to go!” Asta yells as he begins to leave the area behind.

Leopold takes this chance to make an offer he knows he will not refuse, “Asta, my omega, do you wish me to take you back to the Black Bulls castle?”

“No, don’t! I can get there myself!”

“Challenge accepted!”

“Ugh!”

This is going to be a long and hellish omegahood for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Has anyone ever tried telling a room full of dysfunctional freaks their deepest, darkest secret? No? Well, then none can understand the pain Asta is enduring right now as he gets ready to announce to the Black Bulls his omega status.

He had gotten back to the castle with the help of Noelle and Charmy. Thank goodness for Charmy! She managed to keep clingy Leopold away with a firm smack of her cotton magic. So far, only Noelle and Charmy know of his status as an omega. Charmy took it far better than Noelle, who had interrogated him the whole ride home. If of anything, Charmy’s only comment was, “Not surprising. You definitely were not a beta. I thought you were a beta omega or something and you were just hiding the mark.”

According to her, “Betas can be scented by alphas as well, mark or no mark. I could not scent you, this means you were not a beta.”

It is rather surprising to Asta to hear this, but he’d like to have known this fact beforehand!

Why didn’t anyone tell him this, again?

Oh well. It won’t help him in his position. Now he has to tell them all the truth and he’s already stuck on what to say.

Thus, he decides to wing it because there’s no other way to go about this otherwise, “I am an omega!”

The reaction is mixed at best.

Yami shrugs as though it were nothing, “So? I figured you were one since you didn’t have a scent of a beta and you’re clearly not an alpha or anything remotely close to it.”

Gauche breathes a sigh of relief, “At least this means I can introduce one member of this filthy heathen squadron to my sweet Marie…”

Grey is…quiet. Literally, no response at all from Grey. Then Grey doesn’t ever say much anyway, so he supposes it’s all good?

Finral looks at him with a question in his eyes, “Are you sure you’re an omega? I always thought you were a beta.”

Asta then explains it to him as simply as he can, “I have no magic power. This means I do not have the scent or mark of an omega.”

Vanessa is taking this pretty well in comparison to Finral’s state of disbelief, “Do you get heats or no?”

He shakes his head, “No, I do not get heats.”

Gordon is too busy mumbling away, whereas Magna is immediately asking him, “Asta…since you’re an omega…what do you say we go out sometime?”

Asta is now left with an awful conundrum: he could say ‘yes’ to Magna even though the very thought of doing so makes him feel sick to his stomach or he could say ‘no thank you, I have a mate’.

He’ll go with the first choice because he does _not_ have a mate! That and Magna is not a bad guy, he knows he will treat him right, like a real man would.

Which is why he answers back with a calm, “Sure, that sounds great. Are we going to ride on your awesome broom again?”

“You know we will! A real man shows his omega a good time and a good time cannot happen without a ride on a badass broom like mine!” Magna brags wholeheartedly to the amazed omega who still feels like throwing up after accepting this date offer.

Then there’s a loud crack of electricity erupting from a suspiciously silent Black Bulls member. While the rest of the Black Bulls hadn’t asked too many questions for Asta, there was one who was dead silent the whole time.

Luck Voltia is none too happy with the recent turn of events, yet his eternal smile is there nonetheless, a reminder of his deadly urges buried deep within, “Asta, if you hate Magna, you should date me next. I will be the best alpha you will ever have, honest! We can fight each other for dominance and when your heat hits, we can ride it out together. What do you say?”

Asta doesn’t feel comfortable with dating Luck…but he supposes he can do worse. Besides if Magna backs down at the sight of his ‘mate’, then Luck will have to do.

“…I’ll think about it. So, Magna, when will our date be?”

“Get ready Asta, it will be in an hour!” Magna exclaims with a smile on his face.

Asta is oddly excited about it because he never thought he’d be the one going out on a date first between himself and Yuno! He always thought he was undesirable because he wasn’t a traditional omega like Yuno, so to have Leopold, Magna, and Luck wanting to date him is a huge self-esteem booster.

An hour later, he is following Magna outside to the coolest broom ever (screw what everyone else says: it’s the coolest broom he’s ever seen! If he had magic power, he’d want a broom as awesome as Magna’s) and right as he is on the broom, there is a loud, resounding, “Asta, my omega, what are you doing on another alpha’s broom?”

Magna looks at Asta with wide eyes and speaks a stunned response, “…You didn’t say you have a mate! I thought you were single!”

“I-I don’t! I have no magic power: how can I have a mate?” he asks Magna before Leopold sighs in irritation.

“The healer lied to you! I can smell you just fine. Now, get off that atrocious thing and come with me, my mate. I am here to court you in the traditional Vermillion way!” Leopold exclaims with an outstretched hand.

Asta rejects this almost instantly, “No way, I’m not ready to be mated! How many times do I have to tell you this before you get it?”

Magna gets off the broom and goes over to Leopold with a sincere gaze in his eyes, “I’m sorry. I had no clue he had a mate! We just learned an hour ago he is an omega…I will be a real man and let you two court properly with my fullest blessing.”

Asta’s lime eyes widen to this whereas Leopold accepts the apology with a grin, “Sounds great to me! Apology accepted: now, Asta, let us begin our courtship!”

Before Leopold can make a single movement, Asta is running at high speed to the castle and locking the door. He sees Captain Yami looking at him as though he is crazy, but then he begs him, “Captain Yami, this guy thinks we are mates even though I have no scent and he won’t leave me alone! Please, do whatever you can to keep him away from me!”

Captain Yami thinks it over for a second before coming to his decision, “Sure, why not? I enjoy intimidating other alphas for fun, so this should be entertaining.”

“Great, thank you!” Asta says to him as he begins to hurry over to his bedroom to hide out from Leopold, but along the way over he is stopped by Luck.

The blonde mage with the electric blue eyes is asking him at first sight, “Did things really go south that quick with Magna?”

Asta huffs to this, his eyes rolling, “I wish! Instead, this guy claiming to be my mate showed up and Magna did the honorable thing and backed down without a fight!”

Luck’s eyes brighten in this moment as he takes Asta’s hand and pulls him to his side, “Asta, we are going out on a date today! I am not afraid of any so-called mate trying to get close to you. I will fight him and I will scare him away from you for life and then we can be together, my omega!”

He is actually suppressing a shudder right now, but he somehow keeps his outer cool long enough to wonder out loud, “I thought you said Yuno is your mate.”

“That was before you came out as an omega! Why should I try for an unattainable Golden Dawn member when I can have an omega from my own squad?” Luck says very matter of factly on the issue when taking Asta over to Finral, “Hey, open us a portal to somewhere romantic. We’re going on a date, Finral, and I know you’re great with this kind of thing.”

Finral obliges, but only because he doesn’t want Luck to kill him if he tells him no (this sort of thing has happened to him almost twice before), “Sure, why not? Here, I’ll give you one for a particularly romantic location.”

The inner omega in him is screaming at him for even thinking about this and it’s driving him mad to feel the constant sickness in the pit of his stomach. He almost feels like puking, he almost does not go through the portal, and yet even if he hadn’t they didn’t get the chance to go through it anyway.

Yami had attempted to tell Leopold when he knocked on the door, “Go the fuck away, Vermillion! Unless if you have hardcore proof Asta is your mate, then I don’t want to hear it.”

“I _do_ , it’s called I could smell him from a mile away when we first met. I knew he was an omega instantly, my omega to be exact, which means I have the full legal rights to court him as I please.” Leopold speaks so very matter of fact on the matter.

Yami isn’t his brother or sister, though, so it was all for naught, “Yeah…well, I don’t give a fuck, so go away.”

He slams the door shut on the Vermillion, and had he not moved far away enough, he would have been incinerated by the flames used to burn down the door.

Leopold has a grin on his face as he enters the castle, “Sorry about the door, but trying to keep a mate away from their omega does crazy things to their minds, you know! So, where is my omega?”

This is when he sees him with _another_ alpha, about to go through a portal together, most likely on a date and this is where his inner alpha begins to take over.

When Luck is about to make a move on Asta that looks too much like a kiss, Leo is in full blown territorial alpha mode while rushing at them at the speed of light, shoving Asta behind him and baring teeth at Luck when speaking in a low, lethal tone, “What were you about to do to my mate?”

Luck grins wickedly, enjoying the look on of bloodlust far too much on his opponent’s face, “We were about to go on a romantic date that would have ended in me marking him.”

Asta objects to this, shocked at the hidden motive there in Luck’s offer, “Wait, you were going to mark me? What the hell! You said it was going to be a date only, you never said anything about marking!”

Luck shrugs to this, his eyes shining with mischief, “Ah poor naïve omega, you should know by now that whenever any alpha makes an offer to date you, it’s only to mark you and get some hot heat sex!”

Asta is horrified into silence because the thought of Luck being his first time…is just too disturbing. Who knows what the little sick creep is into? Asta can’t even begin to fathom all the disturbing things he must be into!

While recovering from his own shock, Leopold is getting to ready strike at the electric mage, but then Luck uses his electric magic to move quicker than usual, going behind Leopold to take Asta into his arms. There he does the one violating thing he really shouldn’t have done: he rubs his scent on his scent gland, scent marking him as his own.

“He’s mine, alpha. My scent is on him now, which means he belongs to me and nothing you say or do can erase this fact!”

In this moment, Asta feels so violated right now it’s not even funny. He feels so dirty and sick all at once at the sensation of having Luck’s scent on him. His inner omega takes over him as he lets out a hard tremble and a small whimper of shame.

Leopold’s inner alpha senses his omega’s distress and goes on the attack. He uses his strike at a spot behind Luck that causes a wooden beam to nearly fall on him completely. Luck does manage to dodge but in the midst of this dodge, he drops Asta, leaving Leopold to catch him. His alpha ego grows in size at the awed look on Asta’s face. Sure, it may have been there only for a moment, but it was there regardless.

Now the real fight begins…one between two alphas fighting over an omega.


	5. Chapter 5

It comes as no surprise when Yami has to step in to end the fight almost immediately. He doesn’t want his home demolished, thank you very much, and he’d rather not have his home reek of Vermillion rut and whatever the fuck it is scent Luck gives off during his rut. Using his magic power, he separates the two and tells them, “No way in fucking hell are you two duking it out here! Keep it outside or don’t fight at all. Which reminds me…for the omega of the group…”

He takes Asta out of Leopold’s arms (not with ease, mind you, this was a five minute struggle) and places the golden chain choker on his neck, “So neither bastard can mark you. Now, either you two take it outside or don’t take it out here at all. Got it?”

Luck shrugs with a pout on his face, “Oh c’mon Captain Yami! I was just about to have some real fun too.”

Leopold isn’t having it, “He’s my destined mate and this alpha scum violated him with his scent!”

Yami groans loudly in response, “Shut the hell up, you two! Vermillion, leave!”

Leopold is not taking this well, all facts considered at hand, “I am _not_ leaving my mate with this potential rapist! I am taking him with me or I am staying to protect him from this Luck Voltia.”

Yami knows he won’t leave this easily so he decides to strike a deal with the crazed alpha, “How about Asta stays with Yuno at his place in the Golden Dawn? I’ll bring him back when I send Luck out on another mission. Does that work for you?”

Leopold slowly, reluctantly nods with a small sigh, “Yes, this will do, but why can’t he return home with me?”

Yami rolls his eyes while glaring down the young Vermillion, “Because you have no concrete proof Asta is your mate. Now, leave before I really lose my cool.”

Leopold is about to take his leave, but not without going over the scent mark made by Luck. He leaves his own scent on Asta, nuzzling hard against the scent gland on his neck, making it clear who he belongs to with scent alone.

He continues to do so for ten minutes straight until all of Luck’s disgusting scent is gone, but all the while Asta finds himself not minding it. His inner omega takes over once more as he almost…purrs in appreciation from the marking.

What the hell?!

 _No_. This cannot be happening to him!

When he is done, Asta is booking it for Finral’s portal into the Golden Dawn’s castle. He needs to get away from Luck, Leopold, and scent markings in general.

He really did get lucky to find Mimosa on the other side instead of four-eyes.

“Asta, what are you doing here? How did you get here?” she asks him instantly.

Asta sighs, his eyes meeting hers in a bit of dismay, “Finral brought me here with a portal. I’m here to stay with Yuno for a while. Leopold doesn’t want me near Luck and I don’t want to be mated off to him, so I’m here instead.”

Mimosa finds this strange as she questions his reasoning behind this, “Why don’t you want to be mated to Leopold? He’s a great alpha and he will be sure to provide and take amazing care of you.”

Asta tells her with a bit of his own uncertainty seeping through, “Because I don’t like what happens to me when I am by him! He makes this part of me come out that tells me to let him mark me and ever since he came into my life I now have a scent only he can smell and I don’t know what will happen next! What if I can get pregnant next? What if being by him makes me get a heat? I don’t want any of those things! I like being the kind of omega I am; I don’t want to become one like Yuno.”

Mimosa seems to have a certain grasp of this, oddly enough, “I know what you mean…I didn’t have my inner beta kick in until I got in the Golden Dawn. It’s hard to not give in to the inner instinct inside you, but it is a part of you, Asta. If you ignore for it too long as an omega, I’m afraid it could have awful consequences.”

Asta decides to turn to her about this because she does specialize in healing magic and she seems to have gone through or is going through the same thing as him, so asking her couldn’t hurt, right?

“What’s the worst thing that could happen to me?”

She gives him a concerned glance as she explains, “If you suppress it for too long, you could become violently ill because you have no magic power to offset the taxing physical effects of the hormones on your body or you could go into a heat that will be long and severe without your mate.”

So…his body will basically kill itself or make him into a wanton concubine for Leopold?

This is not what he was wanting or wishing to hear.

“Okay, is there any way I can avoid this?”

He’s only wondering because he doesn’t want any of the above to happen to him ever. He knows how bad heats get and he’d rather never endure one, thank you very much.

“The only way to avoid this is to get marked by Leopold and accept him as your mate.”

Not the answer he was wanting to hear, so he’ll pretend like he didn’t hear it.

“Oh… Hey, where is Yuno at?” he asks her with a curious tone because he’s honestly wondering where the other is.

“In his room. I’ll take you there if you want me to.” She offers him with a gentle smile.

He nods brightly, his eyes lighting up at the offer, “That’d be great! This place seems bigger than the Black Bulls castle and I’d rather not get lost when I’m here.”

She leads him up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and over to the third door near another staircase.

“This is his room, be sure to knock first. I’m not sure what an omega in heat would do to you.” Mimosa forewarns him as she leaves him there with a small ‘goodbye Asta’.

He knocks on the door per her orders and says, “Hey, Yuno it’s me! Captain Yami wants me to stay here until Luck gets sent out on another mission.”

The door opens and he is met with a sight he wasn’t expecting.

Yuno looks ill. His skin is near ashen, his eyes are bloodshot, though thin by nature Asta can now see his rib cage through his shirt, and he seems to be struggling to stand.

He rushes over to his side and takes him inside the room. He shuts the door before laying him down on the bed, his lime green eyes worried as he takes in the full extent of his decay, “Yuno, are you alright? What happened?”

Yuno at first is silent, but then he decidedly caves because it is Asta and he owes him as much after everything he’s done for him over the years, “…Asta, I’m pregnant.”

Everything around him stops moving as he tries to pull himself together to remain strong for Yuno’s sake, but it’s so much easier said than done.

Pregnant? How…when did this happen!

“When did this happen?” he asks him out of disbelief as the shock continues to pulsate through his mind and body in strong waves.

Yuno looks so upset as he speaks, his voice is showing the sadness his eyes refuse to cry out, “…It was after the dungeon mission, during the time period you were passed out. I went into a heat and he came into my room…he took advantage of me when I was on my heat and now I’m…I…”

He seems to be panicking but Asta knows what to say next to get his mind back on track with him, “How do you know you’re pregnant for fact? Did you see a healer?”

Yuno nods slowly, telling him with a quiet, “I went over to a small village without my Golden Dawn robes on and saw a healer there. She said I’m pregnant, but because it’s not the child of my mate, I will miscarry. She thinks if I miscarry again I will never be able to have children.”

Asta hears the ‘miscarry again’ part and is instantly floored.

How hard has Yuno’s time here in the Golden Dawn been?

Why is he tolerating this in silence?

“Yuno…is this your second miscarriage?” he asks him in a serious whisper, knowing what can happen if anyone else hears of it.

Yuno speaks so sadly it breaks Asta’s heart to hear it, “It is. The same alpha who gave me this second pregnancy is the one who gave me my first. Because of his rank in the squad and my being the only omega here, no one does anything about him or the way he acts towards me with all the groping and scent marking… It’s not easy being in the Golden Dawn, Asta. It’s hell on earth.”

Asta instantly comes to a conclusion he’s hoping isn’t true, but thinks is more than likely accurate, “Is Captain Vangeance doing this to you?”

Yuno’s eyes widen as he snaps his head to look from the ceiling to Asta’s face, his voice showing his own bewilderment when he responds, “No! It’s not Captain Vangeance, it’s Vice Captain Vaude doing this.”

Asta is pissed and ready to fight when Yuno tells him firmly, “Asta, don’t do anything about this. I can talk to Captain Vangeance or the Wizard King. They will deal with it. It will be fine, just don’t do this. If you fight on my behalf now, there’s a great chance they will find out I’m fertile and force me to mate with him.”

It is because of this reasoning alone he decides to contain his rage and calm down. He will not be the reason Yuno is mated to some guy who treats him like garbage.

“Alright, I won’t tell anyone. How are you hiding these miscarriages?” he asks the other omega out of pure curiosity.

The raven grins slyly with eyes full of mirth at the memory of it, “I tell them I took too much suppressants by accident and am suffering a bout of illness from it.”

Asta supposes this lie works because it makes sense. Taking too many suppressants can cause omegas to become as sick as an omega during a miscarriage. The symptoms are all similar too, so unless if they took him to a healer, they wouldn’t know he is pregnant and enduring a miscarriage.

He sighs as he asks Yuno, “What are you going to do about him?”

Yuno’s voice is small and hollow as he tells him his plan, “I’m going to tell the Wizard King or Captain Vangeance about it.”

Asta nods and decides now is better than never to get some questions on his mind answered, “I know this is a bit off topic, but can you answer some omega questions for me? I’ve been going through some omega stuff I’ve never gone through before and I was wondering if you’d be able to help me out with it.”

Yuno considers it for a moment yet his answer is quick anyway, “Sure, ask away.”

Asta begins his questioning with something relatively simple, “Every time Leopold is by me, it’s like there’s this…inner voice in my mind and body telling me to listen to him and to let him mark me. This voice also made me feel sick when Luck scent marked me earlier today in front of Leopold, but when Leopold did it, it made that sick feeling go away. I don’t know what it is or if it’s a good or bad thing…do you have this voice inside you too? Do you know what it is?”

Yuno chuckles to this, his eyes lighting up so playfully when he gives Asta an answer he doesn’t want to hear, “That is your inner omega instinct telling you to mate with him. He’s your mate, Asta, that’s all it means.”


	6. Chapter 6

Asta is still taken aback by what all Yuno has said to him, but then he’s not one to let it get him down, “I am not going to be mated down! I will not quit being a magic knight or give up on becoming the Wizard King.”

What does shock him more than Yuno’s answer to his previous question is the response he hears from him next, “You’re not fertile, Asta. You can still be a magic knight when mated off if your mate allows you to be one. You still have a shot at being the Wizard King, but if anyone learns about my fertility…it’s over for me.”

To this, Asta breathes a sigh of relief yet he does ask him, “Why is he the only one who can smell me? Why am I going through this omega stuff you go through now when I never had to go through it before all of my life?”

Yuno has his own theory for this, and it’s one Asta can find himself accepting, “I think it’s because he’s your mate. You have no magic power so you never had to go through the things I did, but now that you found your mate, your omega side is becoming unleashed. Maybe those like you only go through omega difficulties when they meet their mate.”

Asta supposes this could be a huge part of it. Maybe he’s gotten lucky in this regard, because he’s never had to worry about heats and pregnancies the way Yuno has, but he wishes it didn’t have to happen now. He’s enjoyed his life being free of heats, omega instincts, and scents. Now he has all of the above and it’s a scary sensation for him. He doesn’t know how to cope or adjust to it.

“How can you handle being an omega?” he asks Yuno out of his own insecurities and fears.

The golden eyed omega smiles lightly, his eyes having a far-off look to them, “It’s scary isn’t it? Having my first heat was terrifying for me. Sister Lily had to stay by my side the whole time because I just kept crying. After I knew what to expect, it became something I learned to handle better with time. You will catch on better than I did: you wouldn’t be yourself if you didn’t.”

Asta feels somewhat reassured to hear this, then he feels a deep pain in his lower abdomen. His breath is becoming quicker and he’s starting to sweat as a deep-seated need starts to take over him. He hears that omega instinct inside of him screaming at him to get to Leo, to let Leo mate him.

He starts to emit a scent he can smell and it’s exactly what Leopold said he smelled like at the banquet: woodsy with vanilla undertones. He wants nothing more than to scream at the horror of it all, but then he instead lets out a shaky breath as his knees buckle underneath his weight, “Yuno…what is happening to me?”

Yuno sighs as he tells him, “It’s your first heat, Asta. If you want, you can lay up here beside me and ride it out.”

Asta appears horrified by this suggestion as he shrieks, “No! I’m not doing that! Don’t you have any omega pills I can take for this?”

Yuno rolls his eyes to this, “Suppressants aren’t omega pills and they can’t be used during a heat. Quit being so dramatic and lay up here beside me.”

Before he can even think to do so, the door opens and there is a rather young looking man there with auburn hair and green eyes, dressed in the nicest clothes and robes. Asta doesn’t need to be told who this man is: he knows right off the bat by scent alone this alpha is the Langris Vaude who had violated Yuno.

“Ah this is a tragedy…and here I had hoped it was you in heat, my lovely.” he speaks with such genuine disappointment it puts him off and sets him on edge, ready to attack the alpha despite his weakened state.

Yuno almost freezes in his spot as the other comes near him, his eyes predatory the whole while he does so, “Hello my lovely, I can’t wait until you are better.”

He nuzzles on the omega's scent gland then, almost seeming to get some sort of sick sexual thrill off of it whereas Yuno appears to be humiliated by such a display of ownership in front Asta.

It’s enough to make Asta snarl and punch the other in the face, “Get away from him, scum bag! All of you alphas think you’re entitled to us when you’re not. We may be omegas, but we are not property and you sure as hell are not entitled to us!”

Langris openly growls at Asta, his eyes narrowed as he warns him, “Don’t talk back to me, omega! You’re not the one I desire. You’re nowhere near the stunning nature and looks of my Yuno. Talk back again and I will put you in your place.”

Asta glares down Langris right back, not backing down despite his heat making him more vulnerable, “I am not backing down from the guy who violates Yuno!”

This makes Langris angry to hear. So much so that he gets out his grimoire, ready to strike, but is halted by the motion of Yuno kissing him on the lips.

Asta is shell shocked and Langris is taking advantage of the kiss for what it’s worth. He aggressively pulls him in closer to deepen the kiss. As they break apart, Yuno asks him with an even tone, “Can you return at another time? He’s here to ride out his heat. When he is gone…you may return.”

Langris seems to think it over before smiling in such a sickening way it renders Asta more pissed off than anything else, “Sure my lovely, I’m always open to doing anything with you. I’ll leave you be for now, but I do expect some sort of compensation for this.”

Yuno nods bitterly, his eyes not meeting Langris’ as he replies with a small, “I understand.”

It makes Asta so mad to see this happening!

Yuno smacks a hand over his mouth before he can say more, allowing Langris to leave in peace.

Asta isn’t too pleased with the turn of events. No, he’s downright pissed off at this, “Yuno, what the hell!”

Yuno groans quietly while replying to the pissed off omega, “You’re in your first heat, you couldn’t fight him even if you tried. He’s a powerful mage, Asta; in your state, you couldn’t hold a candle to him. Neither could I when I was in heat. I did what I had to so you wouldn’t get attacked or hurt.”

Asta is about to snarl, but then a moan escapes him instead, “Yuno…why is this happening to me now?”

Yuno chuckles emptily at the predicament they’re in when explaining it to Asta, “Every omega who meets their mate goes through a heat. It usually happens instantly, but since you have no magic power it took a while longer to happen.”

Asta swallows down his uncertainty to ask him, “How long will it last?”

“Until you get marked by your alpha during a mating session.”

Asta is not happy to hear this, but then, what can he do now? All he supposes he can do is ride it out. He doesn’t want to be mated yet or marked…maybe riding it out is all he can do?

It feels really hard to do so at the moment.

He wants nothing more than to get this out of his system, this sensation of deep arousal and need for Leopold. Why now? Why did this have to happen when he was here with Yuno?

He only hopes the portal from Finral does not open any time soon. He only hopes Finral does not come looking for him. His inner omega is screaming, thrashing about inside him, wanting him to find Leopold and let him mark him already!

No, he will not give in! He will ride this out!

Yuno tries to talk to him, tries to keep his mind off of this intense heat coursing through his veins, “Asta, who do you think my mate is? I’m glad you found yours so soon, especially after everyone said you wouldn’t. Just think what Father will say when he finds out.”

Asta laughs joylessly, his lime green eyes joining Yuno’s in staring at the ceiling, “I think your mate would be better than the jerk off who scent marked you in front of me.”

Yuno wants to wish his mate would be better, but being by all of these higher class alphas has him thinking otherwise. He has come to believe a majority of them are like Langris in the way they treat the omegas in their lives. He wishes he could be optimistic like Asta, but as it stands he cannot be. He almost doesn’t want to meet his mate for fear of what he will be like towards him. Besides, who’s to say his mate won’t reject him once he finds out how used he has been by Langris?

He honestly hopes he never meets his mate. He’d be better off if he never did.

“I’m glad to see you think so…I’m not too sure any alpha would want an omega like me.”

“What do you mean?”

“One who’s been used by another.”

Asta then slaps Yuno across the face with whatever little strength he has in him, his next words spoken with passion and rage, “Any alpha would love to have you! You were the most desired omega in Hage and the entrance exam! If an alpha is truly your mate, he won’t hate you for what Langris did. He’ll hate the sick fuck who violated you instead.”

Yuno looks at Asta in shock for a moment, but it quickly fades to a smile, “Thank you for the reassurance, Asta.”

“Hey, don’t mention it.” Asta responds with a smirk, but it’s replaced by a pained look on his face, “Ah, ow! How can you handle this?”

Yuno shrugs casually, his answer being surprisingly light hearted given how down he was before, “I am a regular omega: I had first heat when I was ten. I can handle it better because it’s a part of my life. You will start to get used to it. The first heat is always the worst, but it will get better over time.”

Asta huffs with a small groan, “It better!”

Then there’s a knock on the door, a voice Asta registers instantly as Finral starts to speak up, “Hey, Asta, it’s me! I’m here to bring you back to the Black Bulls castle.”

As the door opens, Finral is instantly hit with the repulsive scent of Asta in heat. He wants nothing more than to puke at the scent he’s being forced to inhale, but he forces himself to take Asta’s hand instead, telling him, “I need to take you home and give you to Leopold. Things are getting ugly at our castle right now and you are needed badly.”

Asta is curious by the turn of events. He hadn’t been here that long, had he?

“What’s going on?” he asks Finral who merely sighs in response.

“Be prepared to hear the most messed up story in the history of the Black Bulls…”

xthirty minutes earlierx

Yami hadn’t seen it coming. Leopold did leave, but twenty minutes later, he was knocking on the door again.

Yami growled under his breath as he yelled at the makeshift door made of nothing more than logs tied together, “What the hell do you want! I already told you, I don’t want you here! Asta is not being mated off that quick brat, now go away.”

Leopold sighs from his spot behind the door, “If you keep me away from my mate, I will be forced to bring reinforcements and you do not want this to happen to you, Captain Sukehiro!”

Yami barks out a hard laugh at the threat being made, “As though I’m afraid of some _Vermillion_ reinforcement! What, are you going to use Kirsch to redecorate the castle? Go ahead, as if I would care!”

“Fine, don’t say I never warned you!” Leopold snaps in response.

It was only ten minutes later when the door is being blown away to smithereens and there’s a loud voice speaking up, “Sukehiro! I heard you’re keeping my brother away from his mate. Care to explain?”

Yami feels a pound of lead hit his gut at this moment because… _no_ …not her. Anyone but _her_ …then he sees her for himself. Mereoleona is standing there with crossed arms and a lethal gleam to her alpha eyes.

“Get out of here, Vermillion. A Silva I can handle because at least they’re smart and civil. Your kind are intolerable and renowned for being dumb.” Yami sighs heavily while approaching her.

She growls to this as she grabs him by the front of his shirt with ease, dragging him down to her eye level and telling him, “Explain why my brother is not mated with his mate yet.”

“Because he knows he can do better.” Yami responds snidely, causing her to throw him to the ground.

She smirks to this as a plan comes into her mind, “You know what? These mates should be living together full time, and what better place than here, in the Black Bulls castle! Why, we can Vermillion it up and make it suitable for all members of my house to enjoy!”

Yami instantly gets up from his spot on the ground to say out of his own tense nervousness, “You wouldn’t.”

Her grin is twisted and cruel when she speaks, “Oh trust me, I would. In fact, I think my brother and I will settle right on in here! Now the Black Bulls castle is a shared entity with that of the Crimson Lions. Isn’t that wonderful, Yami?”

The thought of Vermillions living here, eating his food, using his bath, and speaking to him every single day is enough to make him snap.

“What will it take to make you go away?”

“Simple: bring in my brother’s mate and give him over to be mated. I will not leave under any other condition, Sukehiro.”

Yami is quiet only for a minute before ordering Finral with a desperate shout, “Finral, go get Asta! We cannot have her here anymore.”

He then quickly opens a portal without another word being said, meeting Klaus on the other side when he does enter the Golden Dawn’s castle.

xpresent timex

“Yeah so, Asta, we better get going before they Vermillion it up in our home. I’d rather not go back to see the castle become Vermillion land.” Finral actually shivers at this possibility, but as he begins to take Asta away, he is able to smell something else a bit more clearly…

He’s not sure what it was, but it made him want to stop in his tracks and stay in the bedroom, but he decided against it. He has to return Asta immediately or else face the consequences of a castle full of Vermillions.


	7. Chapter 7

Asta is not happy to be back in the Black Bulls castle, in heat, with the scent of Leopold Vermillion becoming so much stronger the closer he approaches him. He wants nothing more than to stay with Yuno in the Golden Dawn’s castle, but he acknowledges this won’t happen.

Thus, before Leopold can remove the chain, he makes something very, very clear to him, “I will reject you for Luck right now if you do not allow me to remain a magic knight so I can become the first omega Wizard King! If you dare try to take me off of the Black Bulls, I will scream for Luck and he will come to mate me!”

Leopold knows this is a very real possibility and he cannot put it past Asta to do so. He decides then, in order to keep his mate for himself, to do whatever it will take to make him happy, “Fine, you may remain a magic knight even though I wasn’t going to stop you from being one anyways. As for being switched over to the Crimson Lions…I’m sorry Asta, but by law mates are supposed to live together, even in the magic knights. I cannot change that, neither can you.”

Asta will accept the deal at the moment because it’s the best one he’s got and he’s not ready to quit just yet, “You have a deal.”

Another rush of heat clouds his mind as he feels himself becoming weaker and needier for Leopold’s scent, touch, and mark.

“Great to hear! Now, to mate you and mark you as my own.” Leopold exclaims joyously as he takes Asta into his arms, carrying him princess style as his eyes begin to search for a room to mate in.

Yami wasn’t having it, of course, if the disgusted tone in his voice meant anything, “Fuck no, you are not mating here! We have at least one rule here in this castle: mating takes place elsewhere. Ride out your heat with him outside, but not in here.”

Leopold shrugs but then smiles widely, “Sure, sounds great. Mereoleona, we are heading back to our castle! Asta and I need to mate at once!”

“Finally! Let’s get going, I’m starting to reek of Black Bulls.”

Asta doesn’t remember much of his trip to the Crimson Lions’ castle. He only remembers feeling himself calm down the longer he was in his mate’s arms, inhaling his scent, and feeling his touch on his skin. In fact, he almost fell asleep on the ride over, but he didn’t because he knew the inevitable was quickly approaching him.

Inside the lush castle, Asta felt so small. Everything here was larger, grander, and colored in the signature colors of House Vermillion. It was a grand and beautiful place fit for a family of warriors: a delightful mixture of rustic and elegant.

(Though he believes the elegant part comes from Fuegoreon because let’s just face it, Leopold and Mereoleona are not elegant or graceful for what it’s worth.)

“My mate, I will treat you as though you’re a king! This heat will be your best experience in your lifetime!” Leopold reassures him with a loud, bold tone as he carries him up the stairs and down a hall to where his bedroom is located.

Asta highly doubts this, but who knows maybe he is being honest or confident here.

“Uh-huh, sure, easy for you to say! You’re an alpha, you’re not the one going through a heat.” Asta speaks through a slightly breathy moan while being carried over to his mate’s bedroom.

In response to this small insult, Leopold reminds him, “Hey, be happy I have excellent self-control when on my ruts! Don’t you know how hard it was for me to hold back on just taking you back at the castle? Even now, I’m fighting my inner alpha to just be able to walk down the hall with you in my arms.”

Asta supposes that could be equally as hard to do in this moment, so he gives him that one, “Okay, yeah sure, you have it hard too, but this is my first heat ever and I’m not Yuno! I don’t have any experience with this kind of thing and I don’t know what to do about it.”

Leopold pauses in his response but when he does speak it’s to say, “I know it’s terrifying. A first rut, a first heat…all of it is terrifying the first time around, but you have me here. I will be here for you and I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to make you feel more at ease with this whole thing.”

Asta feels a sensation of comfort over coming him at this moment, his previous fears and insecurities gone as his alpha takes him inside his room.

Though it is a messy room (Asta expected as much from him), it’s still a nice room that is much more rustic than anything else, with a large bed almost too large for the room itself, and windows with red silk curtains.

He is laid down on the softest bed he has ever touched in his entire lifetime, making contact with royal purple covers as Leopold begins to kiss him.

It starts off soft and sweet before turning heavier and lustful. He allows his inner omega to take over as his alpha starts to strip him down and take charge of everything from here on out.

His first heat is spent with an alpha who likes to get a bit rough, but Asta doesn’t mind it. He accepts the bites and territorial hickeys with aplomb, so much so to the point where he doesn’t even know he’s been marked on his scent gland by Leopold. Even as he leaves little scratches and marks on his skin, Asta doesn’t mind it…in fact, it all adds to the intense sensation of pleasure coursing through him the longer he is dominated by his alpha.

It’s only when the mating session ends does his heat subside enough for him to think a bit more clearly, “Whoa…I’m marked…before Yuno? That’s something I never saw coming.”

Leopold glances over to his side as he takes him into his arms, “Really? Why so?”

“Because Yuno’s the traditional, perfect omega: he has a scent, he has a mark, and he’s this thin, willow-y thing with a lot of magic power.” Asta gets a pretty sad look on his face then, his eyes filling up with not too distant memories, “I was told by many healers I didn’t have a mate because I’m not like Yuno. Part of it had to do with my not having any magic power, but the majority of it was because I wasn’t like him. Father always said I could stay with him forever then, because there was no way I’d find a mate without a scent, but Yuno always had potential to be mated off…”

Leopold then grasps his hand tightly, giving him a gaze filled with nothing but adoration and reassurance, “Yuno is the one who may be a perfect, traditional omega, but you are better than any traditional omega! You are strong, independent and can put up a good fight better than any beta around. You may not be the most desirable omega to those who want a submissive traditional like Yuno, but you are desirable to me because you’re not a thing like him.”

Leopold then chuckles lowly, his eyes now drifting to the ceiling of the room, “In all honesty…my family wanted me to be mated off to an omega like Yuno, but I never wanted an omega like Yuno. Submissive, traditional omegas are far too frail, fragile, and dainty for my liking. I prefer an omega who is strong, who can fight by my side, and win battles with me! I always wanted an omega like you, but I guess I gave up on ever finding one like you because I didn’t think they existed. Then I found you and everything changed…I finally found my mate.”

Asta is stunned by what he’s heard and yet he feels nothing but comfort and reassurance all at once. He never knew his mate had thought this way of omegas. It felt nice to know there is at least one alpha out there who would even glance at an omega like himself. Then, there is the ringing thought in his mind as he finally sees it for what it’s worth: much like how Leopold had given hope of ever finding his dream omega, he had given up hope of ever being mated off.

Omegas want mates, even ones like Asta who try to act otherwise. All he ever wanted was to be mated off one day after becoming the first omega Wizard King and after being told by so many healers it wasn’t possible, after being rejected by so many alphas for Yuno, he had given up on ever being mated. Instead, he turned all of his resolve into becoming the first omega Wizard King, ignoring all of the hurt from losing his dream all the while he did so.

Sounds like they both had given up before they found each other.

Asta comments to him off-handedly, “I guess we both gave up on ever finding mates, huh?”

Leopold shrugs, his eyes still on the ceiling all the while he does so, “Yeah, we did…but I knew the moment I smelled your scent…my inner alpha went off on me. It was like my heart stopped beating and all I could see in the room was you. I guess you could say my inner alpha kicked in to tell me you are mine.”

Asta would not ever have believed a few days ago he’d be snuggling into Leopold’s side and yet here he is now, snuggling into his side and finally acknowledging (at least mentally) he is his mate.

“Now that I’m your mate…do I have to join Crimson Lions instead? I really enjoy being a Black Bull and I am proud to be one. Can’t I just…stay a Black Bull and live here with you?” he asks Leopold out of his own desire to remain in his squad.

“Is being a Crimson Lion a bad thing to you?” his mate asks him back with a wary tone.

Asta tries to calm down Leopold from his distress, which is something he thought he’d never do for an alpha, with a calm, “No, being a Crimson Lion is awesome! I can tell I’ll really like your sister the same way I liked Fuegoreon, but it’s just… That was the only squad that wanted me. Captain Yami has been great to me, so has everyone else there. I have friends there and I’m not ready to leave them behind.”

Leopold thinks this over for a good minute before saying to him, “Only if Luck Voltia leaves the Black Bulls!”

Asta laughs to this when explaining Luck to Leopold, “Oh please! Luck won’t want me anymore. He’s only interested in strong, single omegas, not ones with mates or weak ones.”

Leopold is still hesitant, but he does relent somewhat on the issue, “Okay, you can still be a member of the Black Bulls, but only if you come home to me every night.”

Asta smiles with such joy it’s almost contagious for Leopold to see, “Really? You mean it? Thanks, Leo!”

“You’re welcome, but Asta you will have to stay here for a good two to three weeks. This is to prevent both of us from becoming ill when separated. Our bond has just started, and as such, it is fragile now. If we are away from each other now, our hormones from our inner alpha and omega will make us ill from distress alone.”

He nods and tells him excitedly regardless of what all he has just heard, “This is going to be exciting! Hey, once the three weeks are done, we can have Finral come over here so that way he’ll be able to open a portal from the Black Bulls castle to here. I’ll be able to work there and live here all at the same time. That way, we won’t be apart. Does that sound good to you?”

Leopold gives him a soft smile as he kisses him chastely, “Sounds great to me.”

He wraps his arms around Asta as the omega begins to speak about his experiences so far in the Black Bulls, listening to every word spoken with a certain level of patience and aplomb he knows Fuegoreon would be proud of.


	8. Chapter 8

Asta so far has had a pleasant two weeks with Leopold.

They go training together, they work on their fighting skills with Mereoleona, and they get to eat like kings. Perhaps the best part is taking on the missions with his mate. He enjoys being by his mate so much to the point where he is uncertain if he even wants to return to the Black Bulls anymore. The thought of being away from his alpha makes him feel sick to his stomach and produces an anxiety so deep and strong he feels as though he cannot move.

He knows he said on the day of their mating he wants to be a Black Bull still, but he doesn’t think he can do it. He needs to be by his mate so he can smell his scent freely, sleep by his side at nights, and enjoy his touches and kisses whenever he pleases.

He’s starting to doubt his own wishes and decisions. He’s thinking he wants to remain a Crimson Lion so he won’t ever have to be far away from his mate.

He confides of this insecurity to Mereoleona (someone who he has come to see as a big sister to him) on the third day of the third week there at the castle, “Is it…wrong of me to want to stay here with Leopold all the time?”

She looks at him with a side eyed glance as she reads her grimoire, “No, it’s perfectly normal for mates to want to be by each other at all times. Why do you ask?”

Asta heaves a breath of relief, his anxiety towards the predicament at hand lessening as he does so, “I had told Leopold after our mating session that I wanted to remain a member of the Black Bulls, but after being by him for so long and having our bond intensify, I don’t think I can do it. I want to remain here with him: the thought of being away from him makes me feel sick to my stomach.”

“I bet it does.” Mereoleona responds with a small grin, “I knew you would want to stay here. All omegas want to be by their alphas at all times. It’s a known fact: no omega can be away from their alpha without some sort of illness or other negative side effect happening.”

Asta then wonders out loud, “How will I tell Leopold this?”

“Maybe you can surprise him with this news. He is planning on going to Hage to meet your Father, after all.” she says without second thought.

Asta is frozen in his spot but then he asks her, “When is he planning on seeing Father?”

“Tomorrow. Why?”

“I had no clue he wanted to do this.”

“Oh…well, now you know!”

Asta instantly rushes out of the room to look for his mate because damn, he’s not ready to face Father in person yet! He’s not ready to hear all the flack he will receive over lying about going with Yuno to be there when he is mated off, for joining the magic knights and going on dangerous missions with an all alpha squad… Oh dear crap, how will he handle his mate being a Vermillion! He knows many people in the kingdom don’t view the Vermillions as being prestigious as the Silvas or as important as the Silvas. What if Father’s first words to him are, _‘Oh, you couldn’t get a Silva?’_

He’s not too sure how Leopold would handle it. He is a loud and proud Vermillion, after all.

He’s already nervous about it and it’s only midday. He doesn’t know how he will handle the broom ride over tomorrow.

He eventually finds Leopold outside testing a new spell for his fire magic. The omega approaches his mate with a semblance of calm to himself before questioning him, “So, I heard you want to go meet my father tomorrow. Yeah, my main question is…why?”

Leopold stops what he is doing to look at his mate in surprise, “Did Mereo tell you?”

He nods meekly and Leopold sighs in response, “Okay, yeah, I do want to meet him. I want to meet him because you’ve met my family and it’s only right I meet yours as well. If we are to be Vermillion mates, proper familial relationships are needed to make it work.”

“It’s just…Father is super over protective of me and —”

Leopold cuts him off with a kiss to the lips, “There’s no need to worry about it, my omega. I will charm your father over and he will like me!”

Asta doesn’t feel as confident, but he can fake it for his mate, “Sure, I know you can.”

It doesn’t but as what was already said, he can fake it for his mate. The rest of the day goes by without incident after this and it makes him feel tense as the hours tick by closer to the dreaded meeting with Father.

Even when morning does inevitably hit, Asta is not feeling the most confident. The whole broom ride over to Hage is spent with Asta answering questions about the orphanage and telling Leopold stories of his childhood.

As the broom lands in front of the orphanage, Asta is left feeling more nervous than ever, but when he sees Father running up to him and hugging him, all nervousness vanishes from his system.

“Oh Asta, I am so happy to see you! I’m so proud of you for your service in the Black Bulls and I’m proud of Yuno as well for his service in the Golden Dawn. You must tell me now, did any of those dirty alphas try to take advantage of you? Were you ever accosted by an alpha or approached by one for sexual purposes? Please, please tell me you weren’t mistreated by alpha scum!”

The long, rambling, tear-filled greeting from Father has him feeling more annoyed than anything else. He knows Father thinks he’s defenseless, but to actually accuse his former squadron of such behavior is wrong on so many levels!

“Father, nothing like that happened, honest! I took off my chain so no one would treat me like you do and the whole time, no one knew I was an omega. They thought I was a beta without me even having to tell them otherwise.” Asta tries to explain to his worried, crying father.

Father looks at him in shock and exclaims out of his own concern, “Asta, that was reckless of you to do! What if someone tried to mate you?”

“They thought I was a beta!”

“That doesn’t matter, some alphas will mate anything that’s not an alpha! You shouldn’t have been so reckless.” Father chides him and he’s already wanting to leave.

Asta rolls his lime green eyes to this, his next words spoken out of annoyance more than anything else, “Father, I did fine on my own! Nobody knew I was an omega until I met my mate!”

Father’s eyes widen as he looks over to the copper haired Leopold standing there with a proud look on his face as he wraps an arm around Asta’s waist, “Hello sir, I am Leopold Vermillion, Asta’s mate.”

Father is silent but then he manages to stammer out a surprised, “W-What…you…a mate? You have a…mate? How?”

Asta sighs as he tells him, “My omega instincts didn’t kick in until we met. I’ve been mated to him for almost three weeks now and he’s a great alpha, the best alpha around to be exact! His family is awesome too, they’re a warrior type of family: they live, breathe, and sleep battle. It’s really great being mated to him.”

Father seems to take this in grace, but then he tells Asta, “Asta, I want to have a word alone with your mate for a moment, please.”

“Sure.” Asta responds with a casual shrug before kissing Leopold on the cheek and saying to him, “Good luck.”

“I won’t need it!” Leopold proclaims boldly as he follows Father inside the church.

The very minute he is inside the building, he is instantly being tackled by Father who is screaming, “You evil, vile alpha whore! You stole my son’s innocence! You violated my sweet, rambunctious little Asta and stole him from me!”

“Ow, hey! I did nothing of the sorts! He wanted to be mated off to me!” Leopold screams out to the older man who is not letting up.

“Lies! My Asta wouldn’t have ever allowed himself to be violated by you unless if you did something to him. Let me guess, you used an aphrodisiac spell on him, didn’t you? You used some spell or something to induce a heat in him and forced that bond on my boy like some sick, twisted alpha predator!” Father accuses him with a battle cry as he begins to punch Leopold, “Release my son from your spells, demon!”

“Mating is irreversible once the mark is made! I couldn’t do anything to ‘release’ him if I wanted to, which I don’t by the way!” Leopold yells in his response as he tries to get Father off of him.

When Asta enters the church, he is groaning loudly at the sight he sees, “Father, really! Stop it, get off of my mate!”

He manages to get Father off of Leopold, but his words to him are harsh and pointed, “Listen, I don’t care if you try to micromanage me, but damn it, you will respect my bond with my mate! If you cannot accept the fact that I am a fully-grown omega now, free to make my own decisions and mate with the one alpha who found me desirable, then we will leave and never return here ever again, got it?”

Father calms himself down from his rage slowly. The beta man then looks to the ground, feeling so stupid for attacking the alpha so randomly. He then chokes out a small response, “I’m sorry, Asta. I guess…I wasn’t ready for you to grow up. I was ready to keep you here forever as my little boy. I never once thought I’d lose you to some alpha, but I guess since you found your mate…I do have to accept it. After all, once a bond is made, it cannot be broken.”

Asta then releases Father and says to him firmly with a calm body language, “Go and apologize to Leopold. Once you talk to him and get to know him better, you will like him. I know you will.”

Father seems to think it over for a good two minutes before approaching Leopold with a slightly apologetic eye, “I’m…sorry I attacked you, but to be fair, it was a big shock for me! I hope we can get along, Leopold.”

Leopold grins in his response to him, his green eyes brighter as he asks, “I know we can. Hey, do you want to see my magic power? Nobody will ever touch my omega because I am closer to becoming the strongest mage out there!”

“Ah…sure, why not?” Father responds in a slow, unsure manner while following Leopold outside.

Asta feels relief as he follows suite. Once outside, Leopold is showing off his magic power and prowess, amazing the kids, Sister Lily, and Father alike. He feels so proud of his mate for the way he just blends in so well with everyone. After his initial apprehension, Father even takes a liking to Leopold, which is something that makes him smile. He feels great to know Leopold is basically one of the family now.

At dinner time, they are eating pop potatoes and when asked by Father, “So, what is new with you as of late, Asta? Besides getting yourself a great mate, of course.”

Leopold beams to this with his alpha pride overflowing him while he holds Asta’s hand underneath the table, “Well, I am leaving the Black Bulls for good to be in the Crimson Lions full time with my mate.”

All are stunned: even Leopold drops his potato to look at him incredulously before slowly speaking, “I thought you wanted to remain a Black Bull…”

Asta shakes his head, taking the time to explain the situation to all who are present, “I did at first, but the thought of being away from you makes me feel sick and anxious. I know it sounds bad, but I don’t want to go back there and be away from you. I want to stay in the Crimson Lions so I can get my daily dosage of you all the time, whenever and wherever I please.”

Leopold hugs Asta tightly in response, his kiss warm and gentle as he says to him, “Thank you for staying with me, my omega.”

“You’re welcome, my alpha.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter may contain potential spoilers for the anime or manga for those who have not read too far into it yet. Read at your caution.

_Asta always thought being in the prestigious Golden Dawn would be a breeze…that is, until the aftermath of the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam happened and he saw Yuno again. Finral had to be placed into a medical ward after his own brother tried to kill him and poor Yuno was left without any solution to his problem at hand._

_After speaking to Yuno again for the first time in a long time, he wound up running into Leopold’s arms, glad his mating had not gone down the same path. This was the day he learned even the most prestigious, just, and true of all groups could be hiding a dark underbelly to its veneer._

Finral could not get the scent out of his mind. Even when flirting with other omegas, the alpha found himself obsessing over the owner of the scent in that bedroom back at the Golden Dawn’s castle. It was a chilly midnight when he decided to finally return to the room just to see if the scent was in his head or if it could be his mate. This being said, he was skeptical. He had no real clue if the scent was even in the room still or if the owner simply imprinted the scent while visiting the room and was not around anymore.

In the instant he reentered the bedroom he last saw Asta in, he had to stop himself because…how? The scent is so strong here and it seems to be coming off of Yuno in waves! How could this…is he really his mate?

He must be. There’s no explanation for the way his inner alpha screams at him to mark him, to mate him, and to make him his own.

He then approaches the bed where he believes Yuno to be asleep on, yet is caught off guard when he hears the omega speak, “Who is there?”

He won’t turn over from his side and it makes Finral wonder just what is wrong with the omega for him to be acting this way. He responds with a soft, “It’s me, Finral from the Black Bulls. I had to come here after I got Asta because I…no, I know you are my mate. I know it by your scent alone and the way my inner alpha is screaming at me right now.”

Yuno turns to face him instead of the wall, golden eyes meeting Finral’s light brown and then he asks him, “You’re my…mate? This…no, this can’t…”

Finral senses his distress and instead of marking him, asks, “Are you alright? You seem to be pretty scared right now.”

Yuno exhales a shaken breath as he says in response, “You wouldn’t want me, it’s for the best if you just forget me.”

Finral approaches his bed slowly, knowing his mate is feeling skittish at the moment, keeping himself calm externally so he will hopefully calm down as well, “Hey, why wouldn’t I want you? You’re a strong mage, a drop dead gorgeous omega, and you are my mate. I will want you no matter what you think I may want or not.”

Yuno observes his face for a moment, looking for any sign of deception, but then he shivers and sighs deeply, “You wouldn’t want me. I know you wouldn’t.”

“Why would you think I wouldn’t want you? You are my mate.” Finral tries to reason with the omega, only for him to hear the saddened reply of, “Because no one wants a used omega.”

Finral is taken aback by the answer at first, but then a deep-seated rage fills him. Before he can act out on it, he notices Yuno is starting to tremble in the presence of his angry self, so he decides to calm himself down somewhat when he does ask him, “Who is the one who violated you?”

Yuno doesn’t speak for a good minute, but when he does speak, it’s to say, “You wouldn’t want to know and I can’t afford to say. Can we please not talk about it?”

Finral releases his angered tension with a deep breath when saying, “Alright, we don’t have to talk about it. So…are you free to go out to dinner with me sometime?”

Yuno cannot believe it when he hears it. He does a double take before asking him, “What?”

“I know you don’t want to be marked now: your distress hormones are way too strong for you to want to be marked. I was thinking we could take things slow instead, just to make you more comfortable.”

Yuno ponders this before slowly nodding, “Okay, we can do that. When do you wish to have this dinner with me?”

“How about tomorrow night? We can do it at seven or—”

“Let’s do it at midnight. I’ll be totally free from my duties then. Does this work for you or no?”

Finral is confused by the time he suggested, but he supposes it could work, “Great, that works for me as well.”

He would kiss Yuno, but the omega seems to be too scared still so he settles for a gentle scent marking instead. It’s not a sign of ownership or even a scent mark that is all that strong or easily scented out by others. It is a simple goodbye to hopefully help his mate calm down from whatever it is that is distressing him so severely.

He returns to the Black Bulls with his spirits high. Sure, he’s not Langris, but it doesn’t mean he cannot be as successful with the omegas as him!

The following midnight, he sees Yuno again and they do have a midnight picnic dinner on a hill underneath the full moon. He feels so elated to speak to his omega again, it makes him feel so complete. He still wants to mark and mate him, but he won’t. Yuno is too skittish and nervous still. He cannot push him out of his comfort zone; that’s not something a good alpha does to their omega.

He regales him tales of being a Black Bull and even tells him a little story of his childhood, one involving himself and his brother…

He notices Yuno’s body tensing at the mention of his brother. He figures Langris must be hard to work with in the Golden Dawn, so he doesn’t ask about it or even bring him up again. After this incident, the rest of the dinner goes by nicely. He learns more about his mate’s childhood and even gets him to crack a small smile. That action alone makes his inner alpha roar in a pride so intense, it almost makes him mark him.

He doesn’t, though. He will take things slower with Yuno until he feels ready to be mated. He doesn’t want him to feel upset or distressed during their first three weeks together.

He leaves him with a gentle scent mark and the promise of more midnight dates. This is something that becomes a common occurrence the whole while Asta is away at the Crimson Lions. Many in the Black Bulls give him flack for not marking Yuno sooner, but instead of saying what the omega had said of being ‘used’, he simply tells them, “I’m a hopeless romantic type! I prefer to swing them off of their feet as opposed to marking and mating on the spot like a brute.”

Every midnight he spends with Yuno, he feels the other warming up to him more and more. One night, he feels the other trusts him enough to even ask about marking, so he approaches his room, ready to ask him.

What he sees makes him sick.

Langris, his little brother, is the one who is violating Yuno. Langris, his little brother, is the one looking him in the eye as he marks Yuno as his own.

He wants nothing more than to attack his brother for such an action of spite against himself, but he cannot bring himself to do it. His inner alpha is too broken at the sight of his mate being marked by another. No, it’s not even that. It’s the pure betrayal he feels as Langris treats this more and more like some game to be played.

When Langris is done, he gets dressed and uses his magic to teleport them to another area. Once there, he glares down Finral yet his stance is cocky all the same, “Hello Finral, long time no see. How have things been with you? Any new omega in your life? …A possible…mate perhaps?”

Finral’s breath catches in his throat because… _no_. He knows his little brother can be cruel, but he cannot believe he is the one who violated Yuno. That cannot be right! Sure, Langris maybe a bit sadistic at times, but he’s not that despicable and evil…

He really hopes he isn’t. He doesn’t wish to think ill of his brother.

“I did meet my mate, Langris. The question is, have you met yours yet?” he asks his brother with a slighted tone.

Langris chuckles as he speaks, “Why yes, I have! The omega Yuno is my mate and as you can tell, I mated him tonight, mark and all. Of course a mate of mine would be someone so stunning and powerful. I am the prodigious Vaude, after all.”

Before Finral can even protest this, Langris takes a cocky step forward and tells him with a steely glare in his green eyes, “I don’t take other alphas approaching my mate well at all, Finral. I am a rather possessive and selfish alpha over the one who is _my_ mate. If you think I didn’t notice your pitiful attempts to seduce my omega and scent mark him as your own, you were sorely mistaken.”

Langris clicks his tongue then as he reaches for his grimoire, “What else can I expect from the failure of House Vaude? You’re not even worthy enough of the family name, let alone my omega! Don’t tell me you couldn’t smell my scent marks on him; if you couldn’t then you are far more inferior than what I once believed you to be.”

Finral did smell Langris’ scent on Yuno, but Yuno never said it was a scent mark. He always said it was from working with him…oh crap. How could he have bought that!

“…I did smell it, but he said it was from working with you. He never said anything about scent marking.” Finral answers back apathetically, hoping to get underneath Langris’ skin just a little bit.

It doesn’t really work, but then he had a thought it probably wouldn’t anyway.

He is teleported back to the Black Bulls castle by his own brother. He is too shell shocked to tell Captain Yami or anyone else what happened tonight.

The following days, he does not leave his bed. He simply lays there all day as it becomes all too clear to him he cannot ever have his mate now. The only way a mark can be removed is if the alpha who made the mark dies. He knows he cannot defeat Langris, but then, even if he was powerful enough, he wouldn’t kill him anyway. Killing him wouldn’t change everything that happened to Yuno during his time in the Golden Dawn.

Captain Yami approaches him with a deep concern in his eyes when he speaks, “Finral, what the hell happened? You look like someone who’s lost everything and then some.”

Finral decides to tell Captain Yami the truth because hey, no point in hiding it anyway, “I found out my mate is Yuno. I was taking things slow with him because of his own trust issues, but when I was about to mark him…I arrived in his room and Langris was there, marking him and mating him as his own.”

Yami knew enough of the Vaude brothers’ dysfunctional relationship to know Langris is petty and underhanded. Still, to mark his own brother’s mate right in front of him is a whole new level of low. It makes Yami enraged to hear of such a violating thing happening, but then he tells him with a firm, “Finral, get the fuck up. You are going to the Royal Knights' Selection Exam and you are beating the little bastard you are forced to call your brother.”

“But Yami, I’m—”

“I know you don’t think you are on par with him, but damn it, he stole your omega from you! The little shit needs to be put in his place over that! If you don’t take a stand for Yuno now, he will believe you never wanted him in the first place.”

Finral sighs as his inner alpha agrees to everything Yami has just spoken, “Alright, but I don’t think I can beat him. He is the head of our house instead of me for good reason, Captain Yami.”

“You don’t need to beat him. You just need to give it your all so your mate knows you never disowned him for one second.”

Finral decides to go along with this, his inner alpha roaring at him to do so as he says, “Alright. I’ll do it.”

By the time the Royal Knights’ Selection Exam is about to take place, he sees Yuno again and he looks so…miserable. He reeks of Langris now and he even has the displeasure of seeing Langris scent mark Yuno in front of everyone, making Leopold and Asta openly snarl whereas everyone else feels either disgusted or uncomfortable.

He does get one chance to approach Yuno in private before the exam begins and he does so with a gentle greeting, “Hello Yuno…I’m sorry I didn’t mark you first. I just wanted to wait until you were more comfortable before I did so.”

Yuno looks at him in admiration while he nods, “It’s okay, Finral. You wouldn’t want me anyway. I’ve been used by him and now I’m marked by him…I’m even infertile because of him.”

Upon hearing this, Finral’s resolve strengthens. He won’t allow his brother to get away with this! He can violate his bond with his mate all he wants, but he cannot make his mate cry over being made forcibly infertile!

He kisses Yuno and gives him a scent mark of his own, promising him one thing, “I will give it my all and he will regret doing everything he ever did to you.”

Yuno is rendered speechless by this as Finral takes his leave, knowing very well what will happen when he faces Langris.

_Langris tries to kill him only when he smells his scent on Yuno. He attacks Finral so viciously, he almost dies from it. He is arrested after his fight with Asta, and taken away to be questioned as to whether or not he is a member of The Eye of the Midnight Sun. Yuno walks away from this feeling not as sick as before, but he does feel an odd mixture of pride and sadness. He’s proud of Finral for taking such a stand for him, but then he’s sad because he knows Finral almost died over it and there’s no way to reverse his mating with Langris. He can only hope the other will die so he can be free to be with Finral someday. It’s all he has for now._

_As for Asta, he clings onto Leopold tighter, happy he found his mate without such incidence._


End file.
